Chamilo vs Stud.IP
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted learning & courses options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Chamilo | Stud.IP |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,005 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2010 | 2003 |
| Replaces | Moodle, Blackboard | Blackboard, Moodle |
What are Chamilo and Stud.IP?
Chamilo
Chamilo is an open-source e-learning and course management system focused on ease of use and accessibility. It is popular for corporate training and education in many languages.
- Easy course authoring
- Built-in collaboration tools
- Many languages
- Corporate training focus
Stud.IP
Stud.IP is an open-source course and learning management system widely used by German universities. It combines course administration, messaging, file sharing, and collaborative tools in one portal.
- University course management
- Integrated messaging
- Collaborative wikis
- Plugin ecosystem
Chamilo vs Stud.IP: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Chamilo versus GPL-2.0 for Stud.IP. Chamilo is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Stud.IP. Stud.IP is the more established project (first released 2003), while Chamilo arrived in 2010. Chamilo has the considerably larger community, at 1,005 GitHub stars versus 100. Chamilo lists first-class Docker deployment; Stud.IP does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Chamilo if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Chamilo or Stud.IP better?
Chamilo is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Stud.IP if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Chamilo and Stud.IP free and open-source?
Yes. Chamilo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Stud.IP under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Chamilo and Stud.IP with Docker?
Chamilo: yes. Stud.IP: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Chamilo or Stud.IP?
Chamilo has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Stud.IP. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.